Alaskan rock band Portugal. The Man released their new single “Who’s Gonna Stop Me” featuring Weird Al Yankovic on October 12. The song and accompanying music video were released in honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, a day recognized across America to honor Native American peoples as a counter-celebration to Columbus Day. This release comes just three months after the band announced the launch of their PTM foundation, which according to their website “puts a specific focus on highlighting the stories of Indigenous Peoples, and we are committed to helping bring these sacred voices – often the most informed, yet silenced among us – to the forefront.”
Portugal. The Man frontman John Gourley spoke to Rolling Stone about the song in a recent issue, saying that the song “is about fences and what they represent. They say barbed wire was the death of the cowboy. The end of the open range and pastures. Colonists came and sectioned up the land and we, along with their ancestors, continued to do that. We need to break down these walls. Music and art have always been a connector for us. We spent the past few years doing land acknowledgments on four different continents and we made a lot of friends. People with amazing perspective and talent. With the lyrical content, it just made sense to call and ask for their help.”
Some fans might be surprised to hear Yankovic’s voice in verse two, which is seldom heard outside of his infamous polka parodies. But as it turns out, he’s known the band since 2013 when they met at the Bonnaroo music festival. The musicians have been mutual fans of each other ever since, with Yankovic even releasing polka remixes of two of their songs several years back. About collaborating on “Who’s Gonna Stop Me” Yankovic told Rolling Stone “I love those guys, and it was a true honor and treat for me to be a part of this project.”
After you’re done listening to this track on repeat, head to www.ptmfoundation.org to learn more about the cause.
